Lord Bolingbroke charges Christians, even the most learned, as not having honesty or sagacity enough, to take an accurate examination of the Jewish and Christian system He allegeth, that Christianity is wholly founded upon facts, and that those facts have not been proved, as all other facts which pass for authentic ought to be proved 590 ib. All the conditions requisite to render the accounts of any past facts credible, concur in relation to the important facts on which Christianity is founded. 591 Those facts were done in the most open and public manner The accounts of them were published in the age when the facts were done And by persons perfectly acquainted with those facts, and who were of great probity and simplicity, and discover an impartial regard to truth They had no temptation to disguise or falsify the facts-but bore witness to them, in opposition to their worldly interests and rooted prejudices; and though they were thereby exposed to the most grievous sufferings The writings themselves have all the characters of genuine purity and simplicity and uncorrupted integrity; and have been transmitted to us with an unquestionable evidence, greater than can be produced for any other writings in the world What farther confirms the truth of the facts, is, the conversion of vast`num- If those facts had not been true, that religion must have sunk in the beginning, ib. 592 ib. 593 ib. 594 595 596 597 The gospels we have now in our hands were certainly extant in the apostolic age, and regarded as authentic.-And in the beginning of the second century were universally spread, and read in the public assemblies of Christians 599 The four gospels, and these only, were generally received as of divine authority in the Christian church, in the ages nearest the apostles, and have continued to be acknowledged ever since. The enemies of Christianity, whether Jews or Heathens, who lived nearest those times, never pretended to deny that they were written by Christ's own disciples and attendants The books themselves have all the marks and characters of the apostolic age, and which plainly point to the time in which they were written, and not one mark of a later date. The pretence, that there had been historical evidence against Christianity, but We have the testimony of adversaries concerning those facts, as far as could be expected from adversaries. 601 603 604 605 The Christians that attest the facts whereby the gospel was established, were such as were themselves converted to Christianity upon the evidence of those facts, which gives force to their testimony . 607 St. Paul's testimony particularly considered. Lord Bolingbroke's argument to prove that there is at present no standard at all of Christianity The Romish writers, in endeavouring to show that the Scripture is insufficient to be a complete rule of faith and practice, have really served the infidel cause The pretence, that the most extravagant and contradictory opinions may be founded upon the same text, and plausibly defended by the same authority, examined ib. 609 The different interpretations which have been put upon Scripture, no proof that they are not sufficiently clear and determinate to be a rule of faith and Let a revelation be ever so clear, it would be absurd to expect that all men should agree in their sense of it: but this does not hinder its being of great After all the clamour that has been raised about differences among Christians there hath been a general agreement among them in all ages, about many matters of the highest importance True Christianity, instead of receiving a fatal blow, as his Lordship pretends, . 611 PREFACE. ALTHOUGH no man needs to make an apology for using his best endeavours in defence of our common Christianity, when it is openly attacked; yet as my engaging again in this cause, after having done it on some former occasions, might have an appearance of too much forwardness, it was with some reluctance that I was persuaded to undertake it. What had great weight with me, was the judgment and advice of a person of great worth, of whose sincere friendship I have had many proofs, and whom I greatly honour for his truly Christian and candid spirit, as well as his zeal for our holy religion. He urged, that it was highly proper to take notice of the contempt and abuse attempted to be thrown upon Christianity and the holy Scriptures, by a writer of so great name, and whose specious insinuations, and confident assertions, might probably make disadvantageous impressions upon minds too well prepared to receive them. And, as he had not then heard that any other had undertaken it, or intended to do so, he thought my drawing up Remarks on these Letters, which had made so much noise, might be of some use. This determined me to attempt it; and how far what is now offered is fitted to answer the intention, must be submitted to the judgment of the public. I am sensible of the disadvantage one is under in appearing against a writer of so distinguished a character as the late Lord Viscount Bolingbroke. His Lordship's admirers will no doubt expect, that a proper decent respect should be paid to his great abilities and talents, as well as quality. This I readily acknowledge: but there is certainly a still greater regard due to the honour of Christianity, which he hath unworthily insulted. However, it is hoped the reader will find, that care has been taken not to transgress the rules of decency, or to push the charge against him farther than his own. words give just ground for; and that angry and reproachful expressions have not been made use of, even where there seemed to be a sufficient provocation given. It might have been expected, from a person of his Lordship's genius, and who seems fond of saying things which had not been insisted upon before, that when he thought fit to appear against the authority of the holy Scriptures, and the Christian religion, he would have managed the argument in a different manner, and to greater advantage, than had been done by others in the same cause before him. But I do not find, that, with all his sagacity and penetration, he hath advanced any thing on the argument, that can be properly called a new discovery; or that he hath given any additional force to the objections which have been urged by others, and to which sufficient answers have been made. In that part of his Letters, in which he attempteth to expose the Scripture history as false and uncertain, there are several things *The Rev. Dr. Thomas Wilson, Rector of Walbrook, and Prebendary of Westminster. thrown in, which seem rather calculated to show his Lordship's reading, than to answer the main design he appears to have had in view. It would be no difficult matter to point to some mistakes and inaccuracies he hath fallen into. But I have chosen for the most part to pass them by, and confine myself to those things that have a nearer relation to the argument. Any one that is conversant with those that are called the Deistical Writers, must have observed, that it is very usual for them to put on an appearance of respect for Christianity, at the same time that they do all in their power to subvert it. In this his Lordship hath thought fit to imitate them. He hath sometimes expressed a seeming regard for the holy Scriptures; and hath carried it so far as to make a show of owning the divine inspiration of some parts of them. But I believe he would have been loath to have had it thought, that he was in earnest. It is not easy to see the justice, or even the good sense, of such a conduct; since the disguise is too thin to impose upon the most unwary reader; nor can I see what end it can answer, but to give one no very good opinion of the writer's sincerity. This justice, however, must be done to the noble author, that he hath brought the controversy, relating to the divine authority of the Christian religion, into a narrower compass than some others engaged in the same cause have seemed willing to do. He asserteth, that Christianity is a religion founded upon facts; and fairly acknowledgeth that if the facts can be proved to be true, the divine original and authority of the Christian religion are established. And what he requireth is, that these facts should be proved, as all other past facts, that are judged worthy of credit, are proved, viz. by good historical evidence. This bringeth the controversy to a short issue: for if it can be shown, that the great important facts, recorded in the evangelical writings, have been transmitted to us with as much evidence as could be reasonably expected, supposing those facts to have been really done; then, by his Lordship's concessions, and according to his own way of stating the case, they are to be received as true; and consequently the Christian religion is of divine authority. His Lordship had too much sense to deny (as some have been willing to do) the certainty of all historical evidence as to past facts, or to insist upon ocular demonstration for things done in former ages. Since therefore the best way of knowing and being assured of past facts is, by authentic accounts, written and published in the age in which the facts were done; all that properly remains is, to prove the credibility and authenticity of the gospel-records; and that they have been transmitted to us with such a degree of evidence, as may be safely depended upon. And notwithstanding what his Lordship hath insinuated to the contrary, this hath been often done with great clearness and force, by the writers that have appeared on the behalf of Christianity. What is offered in this way in the following Reflections, will, I hope, be judged sufficient; though I have done little more than point to the heads of things, which might easily have been enlarged upon, if I had not been afraid of swelling these Reflections to too great a bulk. The chief danger to be apprehended from his Lordship's book, appears to me to arise from the contemptuous insinuation he has thrown out against Christianity, as if it could not bear the light, or stand the test of an impartial enquiry, and as if every man of sense that examines into first principles without prejudice, must immediately see through the delusion. This, from a man of his Lordship's known abilities, and fine taste, may be apt to do mischief among those, who, without any uncommon abilities, or giving themselves the trouble of much thinking, yet want to pass for persons of extraordinary penetration, and raised above vulgar prejudices. But if authority were to decide this cause, it were easy to produce, on the side of Christianity, many great names of persons, whose learning and good sense, and eminent merit, are universally acknowledged. I shall not mention any of the clergy on this occasion, because they might perhaps be excepted against: though, if extensive knowledge and learning, if depth of thought and exactness of judgment, if great candour and probity of manners, or if fineness of genius, and elegance of taste in polite literature, might recommend them as fit to judge in these matters, many of them might be named, so confessedly eminent in all these respects, as would render them ornaments to any profession in the world. But it may not be improper to mention some illustrious Laymen, who have either professedly written in defence of Christianity, and the holy Scriptures, or have, in their writings, shown an high esteem and veneration for them. Of foreigners, among many that might be mentioned to advantage, I shall only take notice of the Lord Du Plessis Mornay, who was both a very wise statesman, and eminently learned; the celebrated M. Pascal, one of the finest writers, and greatest geniuses of the last age; that extraordinary man, Grotius, not easily to be paralleled for force and extent of genius, as well as variety of learning; those great men, the Barons Puffendorf and Ezekiel Spanheim, the former deservedly admired for his great knowledge of the law of nature and nations, the latter peculiarly eminent for his acquaintance with the Belles Lettres, and refined taste in the politer parts of learning. To these might be added many excellent persons of our own nation, such as Lord Bacon, Mr. Selden, Sir Charles Wolsely, Sir Matthew Hale, the honourable Robert Boyle, Mr. Locke, Sir Isaac Newton, Mr. Addison, Mr. Forbes the late Lord President of Scotland. I believe there are few but would think it an honour to be ranked with these illustrious names, some of them remarkable for their eminent station and figure in the world, and great political abilities; and all of them justly admired for the extent of their learning and knowledge, the solidity of their judgment, or correctness of their taste. And I cannot help, on this occasion, mentioning two gentlemen (the latter lately deceased) of acknowledged learning and fine sense, who have distinguished themselves by their writings in defence of Christianity, Sir George Lyttleton and Mr. West. |